A common flushing apparatus for toilets involves a reseating flush valve that holds a large volume of supply water in a tank from which it is suddenly released into the toilet bowl. And, a float valve is responsive to the water level in the tank to replace the water level, operating automatically and separately from the flush valve that is manually operated by movement of a flush handle or lever that is turned to lift the flush valve. A detrimental feature of this common system is that the flush valve tends to and eventually leaks, resulting in continued water waste.
Another flushing apparatus, common in the United Kingdom, involves a syphon tube having its suction leg depending into the supply tank so as to be filled with water, and its discharge leg normally empty of water and opening into the toilet bowl, and operated by means of a primer pump that is manually actuated to fill the discharge leg thereby initiating syphoning. The said primer pump operates as a water lifting means in the suction leg of the syphon, and the advantage of this syphon system is that there can be no leakage from the supply tank through the inactive syphon. However, the pump means gradually deteriorates and requires repeated cycles of operation in order to complete a flushing of the toilet, and eventually become inoperative.
In view of the foregoing, it is an object of this invention to employ the aforesaid syphon tube flush principle of operation to the exclusion of pump means, and replacing the aforesaid pump-type primer means with a syphon primer means activated by opening of the flush valve, all in combination with an otherwise conventional toilet.
The syphon principle of operation is superior with respect to the conservation of water, in that there can be no continuous leakage therethrough when its discharge leg is empty of water. And, only when the discharge leg is primed does water flow therethrough. On the contrary, the conventional flush valve principle of operation is prone to continuous leakage from the water supply tank and through the flush tube, due to deterioration of either the valve seat or valve ball. It becomes apparent therefore that the syphon principle is superior, except for the inevitable deterioration of the United Kingdom type pump means thereof which typically deteriorates and requires repeated cycles of operation in order to complete a flushing of the toilet, and inevitably becomes inoperative.
In view of the foregoing, it is an object of this invention to employ the aforesaid syphon tube flush principle of operation to the exclusion of a pump means, and replacing the aforesaid pump-type primer means with a pre-primer means or jet-type primer means, either of which is operable by opening the flush valve, and all in combination with an otherwise conventional toilet. It becomes apparent therefore that the United Kingdom syphon principle is superior, except for the inevitable deterioration of the pump means thereof which is typically a flap or disc of flexible material that lifts the tank water into the syphon and initiates continued flow therethrough until the water supply tank is emptied through the flush tube. Accordingly, these two widely used principles of operation are each subject to deficiencies, one to inherent leakage and the other to eventual inoperation. In view of the foregoing, it is an object of this invention to provide a toilet flushing apparatus that virtually eliminates leakage of the flush water, and that provides automatic refilling of a primer tank for repeated flushings.
It is to be understood that the water supply tank is refilled after each flushing operation, or incomplete flushing operation, by means of a conventional and accepted water level responsive valve means for a water supply service pipe. In practice, a float controlled valve returns the tank water level to the bridge of the syphon after each flushing operation, complete or incomplete. And, it is this maintained water level that automatically refills the primer tank.
The syphon principle of operation is characterized by two conditions, a passive condition wherein the discharge leg is closed or dry, and a functioning condition wherein the discharge leg is open or wet. In order to achieve said closed or dry condition, filling of the water supply tank is performed with the flush valve closed at the bottom of the primer tank and at the bottom opening of the discharge leg. In a first embodiment of this invention as shown in FIGS. 3 to 5, the flush valve simultaneously closes the primer tank and the bottom opening of the discharge leg, the bottoms of the primer tank and discharge leg being in open communication. In a second embodiment of this invention as shown in FIGS. 6 to 8, the flush valve closes the bottom of the primer tank leaving the discharge leg empty, the open discharge leg being open to the flush tube and into the toilet.
In order to achieve said wet condition, priming is required for filling the otherwise dry discharge leg with water, whereby syphoning action is initiated and continues to occur. It is an object of this invention to initiate syphoning by pre-priming or by discharging a relatively small volume of water through the flush tube so as to prime and thereby initiate the syphon effect. In the first embodiment flooding of the syphon discharge leg enables the syphon to function. In the second embodiment jet pump flooding of the syphon discharge leg enables the syphon to function. Accordingly, the apparatus herein disclosed is characterized by a manually activated primer means in the form of a primer tank that dumps water into and floods the flush tube, which is also open communication with the syphon discharge tube.
The sudden discharge of primer tank water into the flush tube is a prerequisite to successful flushing, and to this end it is an object of this invention to provide flush valve control means by which primer tank water is withheld from discharge until it is desired to initiate syphon effect and ensure its continued function.
In the first embodiment of this invention, the flush valve is positioned at the bottom of the syphon discharge leg in open communication with both the discharge leg and primer tank water, both legs of the syphon being primed when the storage tank water level is automatically replenished. As in the second embodiment, only the primer water is lost when the flush valve ages and/or deteriorates, so that storage tank water never lost. In practice, operation is restored by simply re-filling the primer tank, and repair is by cleaning or replacement of the valve seat or flush valve. Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to prevent closure of the syphon when the primer tank water is depleted, and to this end means is provided to ensure flotation of the flush valve during flow of water from the bottom of the syphon discharge tube, all of which is accomplished by upward reaction of water thrust against the flush valve, as will be described.
The closure of the syphon to atmosphere upon sudden termination of primer tank water discharge is a prerequisite to successful flushing of the second embodiment (FIGS. 6 to 8), and to this end it is an object of this invention to provide flush valve control means by which the flush valve closes as and when the primer tank water is depleted, thereby shutting off the outside atmosphere for continued syphoning. The flush valve is a conventional floating ball-type valve. In practice, the aforesaid means by which primer tank water is controlled involves lift means by which the flush valve is raised, and shut off means by which the flush valve is closed. As will be described, the flush valve is raised by a lever operated toggle with a sear that lifts and drops the flush valve onto a seat that opens into the toilet flush pipe to initiate continued syphoning. This flush valve control means is advantageously used with both embodiments.